This invention relates to the antiarrhythmic and anticonvulsant properties of 2- and 3-aryloxy or aryloxyalkyl azetidines. The compounds of this invention have the azetidine nitrogen substituted by hydrogen, loweralkyl or arylalkyl.
Anticonvulsant activity has been observed for 3-aryloxazetidines which have the formula: ##STR2## and where X and R are further defined hereinbelow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,861 discloses anticonvulsant activity compounds where R is ##STR3## Compounds having anticonvulsant activity where R is ##STR4## and X is hydrogen, fluorine, loweralkyl, loweralkoxy, trifluoromethyl, acetyl, or aminocarbonyl are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,393. Anticonvulsant activity is also disclosed for compounds wherein R is N-formylaminocarbonyl or hydroxymethylaminocarbonyl in U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,907. Compounds of the formula: ##STR5## where B and Z are independently O or S; Ar is pyridinyl, halogen-substituted pyridinyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is selected from H, loweraliphatic, cycloalkyl, arylloweralkyl, diloweralkylaminoloweralkyl, or R.sup.1 NR.sup.2 forms a heterocyclic ring; and R.sup.3 is H, loweralkyl, aryl, or arylloweralkyl are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,359 as having anticonvulsant properties.
Azetidine derivatives useful in treating angina and hypertension are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,245 which described compounds having the formula: ##STR6## where n is 1 or 0, m is 1-4, Z is O or S and R.sup.2 is loweralkyl which are useful as coronary vasodilating agents. In contrast to the above-mentioned disclosures, the anticonvulsant and antiarrhythmic compounds of the present invention do not possess the 1-carboxamido group or derivatives thereof nor is the planar aromatic heterocyclic substituent on the phenoxy moiety necessary for the anticonvulsant or cardiovascular properties described hereinabove.